Seascape (2009)

Excerpted from Walt Whitman’s long poem, Sea-Drift, this cycle of texts tells of the hopefulness and longing of a lone sea bird, sitting fast upon a nest, whose mate has flown off in search of food and, having met with some disaster, never returned. In “Soothe, soothe, soothe,” the bird calls loudly for its mate, but only imaginesseeingitsshape in the mist. In “Land, Land, O Land,” the little creatureis sure that the land could return its mate “if only you would.” Despair and a presentiment of loss creep into “O throat! O trembling throat!” Losing hope, the nesting bird is quieter, but calls out softly one last time, in “But soft! Sink low!” The final song, “O Darkness! O in vain!”, is a lament for the lost mate, and a tender remembrance of their lifetogether.

1. “Close on Its Wave Soothes the Wave Behind”—The opening open in Whitman’s long poem about love, loyalty and longing.
2. “Land! Land! O Land!”—The second poem in this cycle of love, loyalty, and loss.
3. “O throat, O throat, O trembling throat”—The third song in this cycle about love, loyalty, and loss.
4. “But soft! Sink low!”—The fourth song in this cycle of love, loyalty, and loss.
5. “O darkness, O in vain”—The final song in this cycle of love, loyalty, and loss.